I'm kinda lost. Any basic tips for beginners?

[phlux]

It seems to me there is alot to manage right from the get go in this game.
Not much time to learn things one by one but it's alot at once at the start.
I already struggle how to organize my basic first ship design.
Does anyone have some general tips how to approach this game in the early game as a beginner?

[Flin Fredstone]

You can select the A smal Hope starting option and after you select the difficulty in the next page you can select from several starter ships in the top row. That way you have a decent fitted ship to start your journey with.
Along the way you will expand that ship and add facilities and other things.

[phlux]

Originally posted by Flin Fredstone:

You can select the A smal Hope starting option and after you select the difficulty in the next page you can select from several starter ships in the top row. That way you have a decent fitted ship to start your journey with.
Along the way you will expand that ship and add facilities and other things.

Thanks for the tip! I'll try that to at least get an idea how to build a ship.
The starter plattform of the recommended start has a really weird layout to start with.

[Alex_D]

Some tips I remember I learn when I played for the first time:
- Don't expand too fast, and watch out the infra blocks count.
- Rule #1 of Space Haven: Never sell your tech blocks.
- Prioritize three techs in order: X1 generator, chemical refinery, energy refinery.
- Other tech shortly after: medical bed, item fabricator, small weapons, shields.
- Being bold and aggressive pays off during the early game. This is boarding enemy ships and taking their stuff.
- Engage heavy industry sparingly until the X1 generator is up and running. This may not be as bad as it used to be.
- Pay attention to work, leisure and sleep comfort areas. A few well placed rooms and furniture can make the difference between happiness of 30 and decreasing vs over 60 and steady. Work comfort is meant for bridge consoles, research and learning facilities. Leisure comfort is the lounge with the kitchen and algae. Sleep comfort are these 2x2 rooms with one single bed and night table.
- Use schedules to optimize the ship size.
- Trade the loot for food. Growing food is overrated if the Player is aggressive against NPC ships.
- Don't travel too far East of the map until the ship is up and running.
- Have fun. Failing and having the ship destroyed or the crew setting things on fire is an acceptable learning experience :-)

[lelevup]

Originally posted by Alex_D:

- Have fun. Failing and having the ship destroyed or the crew setting things on fire is an acceptable learning experience :-)

The good ol' "losing is fun"...

[Sanctuary]

some starting tips I remember are:

Set your cargo bay to disallow eating of food from it so crew have to eat from the kitchen.

Set your kitchen. The starting ratios are sub-optimal. Too many carbs, not enough of something else. I think its add 1 meat and nuts and fruit, then reduce veggies and fiddle between adding a fruit and reducing a veggie until you are back at 100% and 39 units but with carbs less than 20.

Research entertainment first and quickly add something fun to the ship.

You might need to place some extra walls between industrial areas and residential areas.

---

If you play the new tutorial it teaches you the beginner stuff and I think let's you continue the game with that ship once you finish it.

[Sid_Vermicious]

Originally posted by lelevup:

Originally posted by Alex_D:

- Have fun. Failing and having the ship destroyed or the crew setting things on fire is an acceptable learning experience :-)

The good ol' "losing is fun"...

Sounds like FTL.
"Fun" is a subjective term.

[Juanito de Cabo]

For a very new player, it's easy to make the mistake of growing your ship too quickly.

As Alex D says above, it's important not to expand your ship too quickly, and not to build too many things you don't critically need in the beginning. It's counter-intuitive, but if you build too many facilities in the start, that ties up your limited resources which you'll need for later.

Also, your people will be doing a lot of fighting in the game (against aliens / robots, and against pirates and other factions which may become your enemies). It's good to prioritize either buying guns for your crew as quickly as you can, or getting the fabricator facility researched and built, and making the guns. If you don't get your people armed up, you will be very disadvantaged, and will not collect resources as quickly as you can.

For slightly longer-term planning, it's important to keep track of your water, hyperium and energium inventory. You can see graphs of inventory over time if you tap the [S] button, I think. It's possible to start a game, survive the beginning, and then spiral into a shortage of water or electricity, making the playthrough irrecoverable.

[lelevup]

Originally posted by Sid_Vermicious:

Originally posted by lelevup:

The good ol' "losing is fun"...

Sounds like FTL.
"Fun" is a subjective term.

Actually it's the motto of Dwarf Fortress... and yes, it's very subjective.